The September Issue

H&M trench coat (similar)
Aritzia dress (similar)
Jonak mules (similar)
Gucci handbag
Zara sunglasses (similar)
Wolf Circus necklace (similar)
Keltie Leanne Designs ring (c/o)
Madewell rings
Urban Outfitters earrings (similar)
Location: The Great-West Life Building – Winnipeg, Manitoba

I started buying magazines again when we moved back to Winnipeg. That sounds insignificant, but it is, in fact, a profound statement about how my feelings about fashion have changed since our move home. Fall is my favourite season. But year after year in Vancouver, as magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair ran issues about the latest trends for the season, I found myself bored by all the offerings in stores. I was spoiled for choice, with every style I could possibly want at my fingertips – and I didn’t want any of it.

I subscribed to my first fashion magazine – Flare – at twelve. By the time I was fifteen, I routinely bought issues of three to five magazines every month. Vogue, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Nylon… I could go on. These glossy publications were a portal for me. They transported me to a fashion world I dreamed of but couldn’t access in Winnipeg. It wasn’t until last year, when I found myself picking up the September issue of Vogue again, that I realised part of the magic of fashion was being on the outside, looking in. For most fashion lovers, living within walking distance of Gucci and Dior would be a dream come true. For me, it meant they became part of my everyday life and, as a result, lost their lustre.

The longer I live far from major fashion centres, the more my fashion inspiration seems to return. With none of my favourite brands at my fingertips, getting dressed has once again become a project. I can, and must, happily put hours of research into it. Scrolling instagram, scouring websites and yes, reading magazines, things I always loved but that were no longer necessary in Vancouver, have once again become favourite pastimes. And, perhaps more importantly, I am no longer bombarded by what everyone else is wearing. In Winnipeg, what everyone else is wearing is jeans. And that leaves me free to hone a sense of style that is entirely my own, informed only by styles I love.

Two years ago, I couldn’t have told you who was on the cover of the September issue of Vogue. This year, I read it cover to cover. Twice. And then, we took photos with it.

When I read my favourite magazines growing up, I imagined that I wanted to be part of the world I saw in editorials. Now that I have, I know that world doesn’t look nearly as glamorous up close. I lived my teenaged dream, but I came to understand the reality of it and now, I’m the happiest shopping online with a stack of magazines by my side. And my closet has never looked better.